KARACHI(National times)- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System (SAMRS) on Thursday, describing it as a major innovation in Pakistan’s education sector that integrates technology and data-driven decision-making into reform efforts. At the launch ceremony held at a local hotel, the chief minister said the initiative marks the first integrated digital platform in Sindh — and in any province of Pakistan — that connects student attendance with school facilities, teacher performance, and learning results. He explained that the new system would enable the provincial government to make evidence-based policy decisions, helping to pinpoint challenges faced by students and design timely responses. The event was attended by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar, senior representatives from Unicef, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the British Council, JICA, and officials from the School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), along with education specialists and development partners. Murad Ali Shah shared that SAMRS had already been rolled out in 600 schools across 12 districts, with plans to expand it to four additional districts with Unicef’s assistance. The platform is built not only to record attendance but also to anticipate student dropouts, recommend interventions, and strengthen school administration. He announced that the provincial government is institutionalising SAMRS through a new policy framework to ensure its sustainability and alignment with Sindh’s education governance system. The chief minister thanked the World Bank, GPE, and other partners for their continued collaboration and acknowledged the efforts of the School Education Department, Reform Support Unit (RSU), and SELECT Project team for their role in the system’s development. He also underscored the need to connect education with health, nutrition, and child protection, suggesting that SAMRS could be linked to programs such as child immunisation, health assessments, and social protection initiatives. During his address, Education Minister Sardar Shah described SAMRS as a transformative step that creates a unified digital framework combining attendance, performance, and infrastructure data to inform education management. He said that with Nadra’s support, students’ identities are now being tied to verified B-Form numbers to ensure every child in Sindh is included in the education system. He further mentioned that 99% of schools using SAMRS have reported attendance, while 92% have implemented corrective measures, marking a strong move toward reducing dropout rates. World Bank Country Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar praised the initiative, noting that it was conceptualised and executed by the Sindh government itself, highlighting the province’s commitment to improving public education.